Garlic Clove Health Benefits, Properties, and Uses

Scientific Name: Allium sativum

What is Garlic Clove?

A garlic clove is one piece of a garlic bulb. The garlic bulb, or head as it’s sometimes called, is made up of several pieces of garlic clove. Garlic cloves are the edible part of the garlic plant (Allium sativum). Each individual garlic clove in a bulb of garlic is covered in a pale white or sometimes pinkish colored skin. This skin must be peeled off before consuming.1

Garlic cloves are predominantly used in culinary purposes for seasoning and adding flavor. Garlic cloves are rarely consumed in whole form because of their powerful, overwhelming taste. Instead, they are finely diced or mashed, which helps release their juices. Garlic cloves in whole form are also used as a home remedy for a variety of conditions.

Garlic Clove Health Uses and Health Benefits

There have been over 5,000 peer-reviewed studies examining raw garlic and garlic clove benefits. Raw garlic cloves are considered by many people to be a superfood comparable to turmeric. A regular diet of garlic can help reduce a number of health risks and prevent disease.2

Garlic clove benefits come from its high content of manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C, calcium, iron and several other nutrients.3

Some of the important garlic clove benefits include:

Preventing heart disease

Fighting against cancer cells

Reducing high blood pressure

Treating infections and common cold

Regulating blood sugar levels

Reducing oxidative damage associated with cognitive decline

Treating hair loss

Garlic cloves can be consumed whole for treatment of conditions, especially for immediate treatment of colds. Otherwise, they can be diced up and added to meals and consumed regularly for disease prevention. Garlic clove uses include being a topical treatment for the following conditions:

Garlic has very few side effects when taken in small, safe doses. However, eating a lot of garlic can cause an uncomfortable burning sensation. Eating an excessive amount of garlic may also cause body odor. Garlic cloves may also cause blood thinning, so people on blood thinners should not take garlic to treat conditions.2